At the Institute of Creative Technologies (IOCT), De Monfort University, Leicester, we are working in a collaborative thinking process using a project in progress, the Virtual Romans (VR). Around the VR project we can discuss a new approach in engaging the understanding at basic level and the analysis at research level of the same subject.

In the standard state of mind, research informs basic education; being a one-way process. Now we attempt to have the education and the research work together at the same level and cross feed. Technology provides the simulation of a virtual environment, where an artist designs the look and feel. With this collaboration, the VR project aims to create a simulation a Roman settlement in Britain at a specific date and location, where people can interact with the characters and researchers can use it to study this particular piece of our history.

For the purpose of engaging in the study of history, we can make the virtual characters look like Romans; but for the purpose of research, we cannot make them think like Romans. By creating the characters using our intelligent agents Rational-Reactive (RaRe) approach we can use them to induce naïve and unprejudiced observes to interact with the Roman environment and spontaneously attempt to think like a roman type character; using the natural desire to interact with them, and historical cues to guide their behaviour.

With a combination of the RaRe methodology and a biologically inspired memory model we create a powerful evolvable intelligent behaviour simulation, which allows the virtual characters to learn from the interactions with naïve observers. With our collaborative thinking process, we attempt to create an environment where we can use our known constraints and research to validate and guide the structure of the historical simulation, and hence the creation of small details of history as it should have happened in those times.

Associated Links

Virtual Romans - a project to investigate aspects of life in Roman Leicester (Ratae Corieltauvorum) by creating highly accurate digital models of the known buildings and many artefacts, then populating the resulting town with virtual 'Romans' who will live out their 'lives' in this environment